The People Power Party criticized the South Korean government for allegedly deceiving the public and the National Assembly following President Donald Trump's announcement regarding investments in nuclear power and Alaska development, in addition to a gas power plant in Texas. The ruling Democratic Party responded by stating that the projects related to nuclear power and Alaska are not yet confirmed.
On October 1, lawmakers from the National Assembly's Committee on Trade, Industry, Energy, and Small and Medium Enterprises and the Committee on Finance held a press conference, asserting, "If the government has been negotiating hundreds of billions of dollars in investments with the U.S. while describing it to the National Assembly as being in the 'review stage,' it is a serious matter that deceives the public and undermines national interests."
They added, "If President Trump has made a unilateral announcement prioritizing U.S. interests without sufficient discussion or agreement with us, it would represent a serious diplomatic failure for the Lee Jae-myung administration."
The lawmakers called for transparency regarding the investment size for Alaska's liquefied natural gas (LNG) project, which exceeds $54 billion, as well as the discussions between the South Korean and U.S. governments related to the investment and the specific criteria for commercial viability.
The controversy began when President Trump disclosed specific investment figures for the construction of eight nuclear power plants and the development of Alaska's LNG. When the South Korean government reported to the National Assembly on September 22, the only project mentioned was the Texas gas power plant, with no report on the nuclear power and Alaska projects, which were still in negotiation.
The People Power Party suspects that the government did not inform the National Assembly about the specific investment figures or that decisions were made hastily during the summit in New York on September 22 (local time).
Koo Ja-geun, the People Power Party's secretary for the Committee on Trade, Industry, Energy, and Small and Medium Enterprises, questioned, "What is the reason for the discrepancy from what was reported to the National Assembly?" He expressed concern that urgent decisions may have been made regarding the deployment to the Strait of Hormuz or semiconductor investments, urging the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy to provide a clear explanation.
Bae Jun-young, the People Power Party's secretary for the Committee on Finance, also pointed out that if developments occurred during President Lee Jae-myung's visit to the U.S. or in discussions with President Trump after the National Assembly report, they must be confirmed and verified.
In contrast, the Democratic Party stated that the nuclear power and Alaska projects are not yet finalized and that they will review the U.S. investment projects based on commercial viability. They interpreted Trump's announcement as emphasizing his position, leading to the release of unconfirmed information.
Han Jeong-ae, the party's secretary-general, stated on her Facebook page, "The investment in Alaska's LNG project is not confirmed. We will thoroughly review it in accordance with domestic legal procedures based on the principle of commercial viability." She added, "President Trump's announcement appears to reflect the U.S. side's unilateral emphasis on their position," and emphasized that the government is reviewing the U.S. investment projects based on commercial viability principles.
Kwon Chil-seung, the party's policy committee chair, and O Gi-hyeong, the Democratic Party's secretary for the Committee on Finance, also promised to uphold the principles of commercial viability and national interests.
On October 1, lawmakers from the National Assembly's Committee on Trade, Industry, Energy, and Small and Medium Enterprises and the Committee on Finance held a press conference, asserting, "If the government has been negotiating hundreds of billions of dollars in investments with the U.S. while describing it to the National Assembly as being in the 'review stage,' it is a serious matter that deceives the public and undermines national interests."
They added, "If President Trump has made a unilateral announcement prioritizing U.S. interests without sufficient discussion or agreement with us, it would represent a serious diplomatic failure for the Lee Jae-myung administration."
The lawmakers called for transparency regarding the investment size for Alaska's liquefied natural gas (LNG) project, which exceeds $54 billion, as well as the discussions between the South Korean and U.S. governments related to the investment and the specific criteria for commercial viability.
The controversy began when President Trump disclosed specific investment figures for the construction of eight nuclear power plants and the development of Alaska's LNG. When the South Korean government reported to the National Assembly on September 22, the only project mentioned was the Texas gas power plant, with no report on the nuclear power and Alaska projects, which were still in negotiation.
The People Power Party suspects that the government did not inform the National Assembly about the specific investment figures or that decisions were made hastily during the summit in New York on September 22 (local time).
Koo Ja-geun, the People Power Party's secretary for the Committee on Trade, Industry, Energy, and Small and Medium Enterprises, questioned, "What is the reason for the discrepancy from what was reported to the National Assembly?" He expressed concern that urgent decisions may have been made regarding the deployment to the Strait of Hormuz or semiconductor investments, urging the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy to provide a clear explanation.
Bae Jun-young, the People Power Party's secretary for the Committee on Finance, also pointed out that if developments occurred during President Lee Jae-myung's visit to the U.S. or in discussions with President Trump after the National Assembly report, they must be confirmed and verified.
In contrast, the Democratic Party stated that the nuclear power and Alaska projects are not yet finalized and that they will review the U.S. investment projects based on commercial viability. They interpreted Trump's announcement as emphasizing his position, leading to the release of unconfirmed information.
Han Jeong-ae, the party's secretary-general, stated on her Facebook page, "The investment in Alaska's LNG project is not confirmed. We will thoroughly review it in accordance with domestic legal procedures based on the principle of commercial viability." She added, "President Trump's announcement appears to reflect the U.S. side's unilateral emphasis on their position," and emphasized that the government is reviewing the U.S. investment projects based on commercial viability principles.
Kwon Chil-seung, the party's policy committee chair, and O Gi-hyeong, the Democratic Party's secretary for the Committee on Finance, also promised to uphold the principles of commercial viability and national interests.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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